Process for making printing-plates.



Ill

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN J'. KULBEL AND ANDBEWJZ. LINSENMEYER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PROCESS FOB MAKING PRINTING-PLATES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SrerHEN J. KUBEL and ANDREW H. Lnvsnmmrnn, citizens of the United States residing at \Vash1ngton,'

District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements iii-Processes formaking Printinglates, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a rocess for producing relief, intaglio, or p anographic printing plates or surfaces and is an 1m-' provement over existing processes 1n great saving of labor, in reducing the number of steps involved in the production of said surfaces, and in the simplicity, rapidity, and economy of the process. It effects a better, more reliable, and accurate reproduction of the original printing surface. I

The invention is particularly useful aplied to the production of multi-col'or-printng plates or'surfaces, although not limited in its application thereto. By our process we are enabledto place a design in abso lutely accurate. size upon any number of printing surfaces to be employed in. monochrome or multi-color printmg so as to insure erfe register inthe printed product. It 1s difficult, laborious, and uncertain to make satisfactory color plates by mechanically transferring from an original plate in transfer ink'on transfer aper to a stone, zinc, or other printing sur ace, because the transfer paper in being moistened becomes distorted, so that the successivecolor impressions may not accurately register on the rinted product. This distortion is obviated y our process.

By our process'the finest lines and details of a map or other design are reproduced with the greatest ease and accuracy, and perfect and accurate registration of the same is attained in multi'color printing, a feature of very great importance especially, in map printing.

By the ordinary process the natural tend- I ency is to thicken the lines.;i n the transfer operation;'by our process the strength of the lines is controllable at the will of the operator; that is, the lines can-be made finer orhea'vier as desired.

Theinvention is particularly applicable to reproducing designs on copper or other.

.- engraved plates, but may also be used to reproduce designs on relief or on'planographic plates or surfaces.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 1, 1308. Serial No, 430,367.,

' of registration wil Patented Jan, 3', 1911.

An object of our process is the reproduction of a map or other desi 11 formed on a relief, inta lio, or planograp 1ic copper, steel, or other ate, or surface or stone upon another rel1ef,'intaglio, or planographic printing surface for the purpose of printin a great number of copies 0 said ma or otlier esign. The original copper, stee or other engraved metal surface or stone is usually preserved intact for future use and the printing done from transfers made therefrom, the practice in the printing art being to take a print from the copper or other engraved metal-surface or stone upon transfer caper in transfer ink and transferrin the esign to a metal, stone, or other p anographic or other printin surface which is used as the printing surface from which to produce the'desired number of copies.

The transfer operation above. referred to is a tedious and laborious operation, often involving repetition by reason ofdefects and imperfections, thus requiring much time and great skill; Great skill and .care are required in the manipulation of the transfers to prevent unequal distortion of the several transfers for the several color plates or surfaces. Unequaldistortion of the respective .transfers from the severaltcolor plates or surfaces will result in failure of registration in the successive impressions from the severalcolor printing surfaces; which failure be fatal to good and perfect multi-color prints.

Our invention obviates the above noted objections of great labor and time consumption as well as imperfect work, is easy and rapid, does not require as much painstaking and tedious labor and experience, and resultsin multi-color prints exhibiting perfect registration in the several color impressions on the printed product.

Our process comprises the following steps. We roll up with a hand roller or otherwise the copper or other engravedor relief meta-l surface-or stone with a stiff ink, paste, wax, or other tacky substance, so as not to fill up (in the case of the engraved surface) the in taglio lines but only the plane portion of the surface, namely, the background. A print is taken from this inked surface in a lithograph'ers hand press or other press or by hand burnishing. on a sheetof white baryta-coated paper, celluloid, xylonite, or other translucent and. smooth surfaced material, which print results in a black background upon which the design appears in clear translucent lines. If a wax or paste or other non-opaque adhesive or tacky substance is used 1n place of stiff black ink, the above noted rint from the copper or other late or surfiice is dusted over with lamp lack or other opaque powder to' render the background perfectly opaque, the lamp black or other opaque powder not sticking to the white translucent lines of the design. The black ink impression, if black ink be used, may also be dusted with lamp black or other opaque powder to render its opacity more perfect. This print is used as a flexible ne ative or helio raphic matrix to print the design actinical y on a sensitized stone, zinc, or other surface. The stone,

zinc, or other surface, we coat on a whirlcr,

or by any other means with'albumen, gum,

gelatin, glue, sensitized with ammonium bichromate or any other suitable sensitizim medium.- We place the negative printed side down on the above noted sensitized surface in a hotographic printing frame and expose to ight.

After exposure we ink up evenly the entire surface and then wash this inked surface under a spray of cold water or other by treating the surface with phosphoric acid and gum arabic or other suitable material which will render a planographic surface moisture taking and ink rejecting; The stone, plate, or surface is now ready for printing.

'By-our process, the operator may control the fineness or width of the lines of the design by rolling up the original surfacewith a thinner or thicker coating of the ink or other tacky substance. To make .the lines of the transfer the same width as the lines on the original surface, a thin coating of the ink or other tacky substance will be spread upon the original surface. If it be desired to make the lines of the transfer more open orWider a thick coating of the ink or other substance will be spread upon In the case of the thick coating of ink or other substance adjacent the lines ofthe design theink will not rise perpendicularly from the edges of the lines but will incline laterally and upwardly from the edges of the lines. Thusfrom the inked or coated surface. The

width of the-lines may be further controlled by varying the time of exposure of the flexible negative orheliographic matrix upon the sensitized zinc, stone, or other surface. If finer lines he desired than the Width of the transparent or translucent lines of the negati ve, the 'exposurevof the negative on the sensitized surface will beunder-timed, while if thicker or heavier lines be desired on the final rinting surface the exposure of the negative, on the sensitized surface will be over-timed.

Our invention is not limited to the identi- -cal steps and materials hereinbefore mentioned but is broad enough to include equivalents thereof within the scope of our claims.

lVhat We claim is: 1. In the process printing art the method of making a flexible negative or heliographic matrix comprising the coating of the relief portion of an intaglio plate with an adhesive substance so as not to fill the intaglio lines thereof, placing thereon a flexible sheet of transparent or translucent material, pressing said sheet upon said plate so as to trans fer the coating to said sheet, removin the sheet, and dusting the same with a pow ered opaque substance.

2. In the process printing art, the method of making a .fiexible negative or heliographic matrix com rising the coating of the relief portion of t 1e intaglio plate or surface with an adhesive substance so as not to fill the intaglio lines thereof, placing thereon a flexible sheet of trans 'arent or translucent inaterial, pressin sai sheet upon said plate so as to transfer t e coating to said sheet, removing said sheet, and'd usting the same with powdered lamp black.

3. In the process printing art, the method of making a flexible negative or heliographic matrix comprising the coating of the relief portion of an intaglio plate or surface with i an adhesive substance so as not to fill the viataglio lines thereof, placing thereon a flexi- -ble sheet of transparent or translucent matexrial, pressing said sheet upon said plate or surface so as to transfer the coating to said sheet. v

' 4c. Thefi 'irocess reproducinga copper, steel, or other engraving comprising the coating of said engraving in the non-design portions thereof with a tacky-substance, transferring said coating to a sheet of transparent or translucent material, dusting the transfer with an opaque powder to render the nondesi gn portion perfectlyopaque, sensitizing a zinc, stone, or other plate or surface, eX-

posin said sensitized surface under said trans er, and treatmg said exposed surface to produce a. prlnting surface.

5. The process of reproducing-a design on an engraved surface comprising the coating of said engraved surface in the non-design portions thereof with a sticky substance, transferring said coating toa sheet of transparent or translucent material, dusting the transfer with an opaque powder to render the non-design portion perfectly opaque, sensitizing a zinc or other planographic surface,-exposing said sensitized surfaceunder said transfer, and treatin said surface to produce a planographic printing surface.

6. The process of making a printing plate comprising the coating of the non-design portion of an'intaglio printing surface with a stiff black ink, printing therefrom upon a sheet oftranspar'ent or translucent material, sensitizing a zinc, stone, or other surface, exposing said sensitized surface under said print and treating said exposed surface to produce therefrom a printing surface.

7. The process of making a planographic printing surface which comprises inking an intaglio printing surface in the non-design portions thereof with a. stiff ink, Wax, or a other tacky substance, printing therefrom a sheet of translucent or transparent material, dusting said impression with lamp black to render the impression perfectly opaque, sensitizing a stone or metal grained surface, egrposing' said sensitized surface under sald opaque print, removing the unexposed portion of the sensitive coating, and preparing saidstone or metal surface for printing planographically.

8. The process of making a printing plate comprising the coating of the non-design ortion of a printing surface [with a stiff lack ink, printing therefrom upon a sheet of transparent or translucent material, sensitizing a 'zinc, stone, or other surface, e tposing said sensitized surface under said print, and treating said exposed surface to produce therefrom a printing surface.

9. The process of making aplancgraphic printing surface which comprises inking a printing surface in the non-design portions thereof with a stifl ink, wax, or other tacky substance, printing therefrom a sheet of translucent or transparent material, dusting said impression with lamp black to render the impression perfectly opaque, sensltizing a stone or metal grained surface, exposing saidse'nsitized surface under said opaque print-{removing the unexposed portion of thesensitive coating, and preparlng said stone 'or metal surface for printing. pianographically.

10. The process of making a printing surface which comprises inking an intaglio printing surface in the non-design port-ions thereof with a stiff ink, wax, or other tacky substance, printing therefrom a. sheet of translucent or transparent material, dusting said impression with lamp black to render the impression perfectly opaque, sensitizing a stone or metal surface, exposing said sensitized surface under said 0 aque print, removing the unexppjsed portion of the sensithe coating, and preparing said stone or metal surface for printing.

11. The process of making a planographic printing surface which comprises inking a printing surface in the non-design portions thereof with a. stiff ink, wax, or other tacky substance, printing therefrom a sheet of translucent or transparent material, dusting said impression with an opaque powder to render the impression perfectly opaque, sensitizing a stone or metal grained surface, exposing said sensitized surface under said opaque print, removing the unexposed portion of the sensitive coating, and preparing said stone or metal surface for printing planographically.

12. In the process printing art the method of making a flexible negative or heliographic matrix comprising the coating of the relief portion of an intaglio plate with a comparatively thick layer of an adhesive substance so as not to fill the intaglio lines thereof, placing thereon a flexible sheetof transparent or translucent material, pressing said sheet upon said plate with properly applied pressure so as to transfer the coating to said sheet and the design of the intaglio plate in wider lines than the lines on said intaglio plate, removing the sheet, and dust ing the same with a powdered opaque substance.

13. In the process printing art the method of making a flexible negative or heliographic matrix comprising the coating of the relief portion of an intaglio plate with a thin layer; of an adhesive substance so as not to fill the intaglio lines thereof, placing thereon a flexible sheet of transparent or translucent material, pressing said sheet upon said plate so-as to transfer the coating to said sheet and the design of the intaglio plate in lines of the same width as the lines on the said intaglio plate, removing the sheet, and dust- 

